Francis Lemieux

Francis Lemieux (born 22 February 1984 in Sherbrooke, Quebec ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is since 2013 in the EC Graz 99ers of the Erste Bank Hockey League contract.

Career

Francis Lemieux began his career in 2001 at the Sagueneens de Chicoutimi in the Canadian Junior Football League QMJHL and he had a good rookie season. In the following two years he became a mainstay of the Sagueneens and both times reached the mark of 60 points scorer, which he ranked in both years among the two best scorers of the team. In his fourth season in the QMJHL, he continued with 32 goals and 50 assists new personal records.

In summer 2005, he moved to the pros and received a contract with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL. After he showed convincing performances in the first two months of the season 2005/ 06, also took him the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL, for the Bulldogs acted as a farm team, under contract. But Lemieux was at first in Hamilton, where he brought his good debut season with 18 goals and 22 templates to an end. In his second season, he was weak and was therefore no longer used regularly, won at the end of the season with the Bulldogs, but the Calder Cup.

In the 2007 /08 season the small but physically robust Lemieux stumbled continue and could achieve in 33 games with Hamilton a single goal, after which he was transferred within the league to the Grand Rapids Griffins. There, however, he was able to stabilize its performance and came in the remaining 26 games of the season still on six goals and five assists, so the Griffins extended his contract again. However, at the beginning of the season 2008/ 09 he had a difficult position in the team. He came in only ten of the first 24 season games for use and could only convince rare in its few uses. But after the first third of the season, he received back his place and played in a row with Evan McGrath and Francis Paré, who was the strongest offensive formation the Griffins in December 2008. Lemieux was able to collect in ten games eleven points scorer, including his first hat-trick. He had to follow during the season another hat-trick, but his productivity was in attack over a longer period not hold, but it could convince through his defensive and physical game.

He was employed by the Grand Rapids Griffins to a large extent at the Las Vegas Wranglers in the ECHL before his contract was terminated at the end of January 2010 In the 2009/10 season changed. On February 1, the Vienna Capitals announced from the Austrian Hockey League the change Lemieuxs to Austria. In the summer of 2010 he returned to the U.S. and began the 2010/11 season with the Manitoba Moose before Lemieux was sent to the Florida Everblades in the ECHL. In the following months, he convinced by strong performances and led with 72 points from 55 games at the scorers list in the ECHL. In February 2011, he was obliged by the Connecticut Whale of the AHL for a try-out. In June 2011, the Canadians received a contract with the Heilbronner Falken of the 2nd Hockey League.

Awards and achievements

• 2007 Calder Cup win with the Hamilton Bulldogs
• 2011 ECHL Second All-Star Team

Career Stats

( Key to Career statistics: Sp or GP = Games Played, T or G = goals scored, V or A = achieved assists; Pts or Pts = scored points scorer, SM or PIM = received penalty minutes, / - = Plus / Minus balance sheet; PP = scored majority gates; SH = scored shorthanded goals, GW = achieved victory gates; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )